Fire-extinguisher.



wmf/93,821. PATENTED JULY 4, 1905. J. A @Am am FIRE EXTNGUSHER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.11,19o4.

fue. Teaser.

llliajtie .iTaTas .Patented July 4t, 1965.

PATTTNT Trice.

SPJECFCATON forming part of Letters Patent No. "393,921, dated July 4,1905. Application filed October l1, 1904. Serial No. 227,987.

lle :it known that l, J'A'Mns A. (biss, Jr., el Syracuse, in the countyof Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useiiulImprovements in lFire-Extinguishers, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a Vfull, clear, and exactdescription.

lhis .invention relates to certain improvements in automaticlire-extinguishers, and re fers more particularly to the sprinkler-headsoill what is commonly known as automatic sprinkler systems, in which theStoppers for the dischargeopenings are held in place by fusible detents.'lhese sprinklers are only adapted to be brought into action in case ollire or excessive heat suliicientto fuse the den tent, andv thereforethe system may lie dormant lier many years without even being tested orits parts inspected, so that the parts which were intended to releasethe stopper 'frequently become corroded or otherwise set to such anextent that in case of lire, even though the fuse may melt, the movableparts :lail to perform their respective Afunctions, which results in aconsiderable loss by lire.

The broad object, therefore, of this invention is to prevent corrosionof the parts and to particularly avoid any liability ol. the stopperbecoming set or lixcd to its seat when its holding' elements areliberated by the fusing oi' the detent.

Another more specific object is to sim pli'ty the construction andoperation oi' the sprinkler-head and to enable the inspectors to readilyand easily test the working parts without destroying anything but thefuse.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

ln the drawings, liigure l is an elevation of my improvedfire-extinguisher as applied to a pipe-`l` of the water-distributingsystem. lFig. 2 is a similar view, partly in section, showing theoperation of releasing the stop per. Figs. 3 and l are sectional viewstaken, respectively, on lines 3 3 and 44, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an enlargedsectional view of the detached stopper. Fig. 6 is a sectional view takenon line G 6, lliig. l.

in carrying out the objects stated a threaded tubular head l. is screwedinto a pipe-T f2 or other partei the water-distributing system and has acentral \vater-passage 2', which is closed at its outer end by asuitable laminated cap or stopper 3. rlhis stopper is composed ot' aseries oilE thin `l'lat layers or disks of' different materials combinedand arranged to resist corrosion or adhesion te the stopper-seat on theouter end oll the head l. The inner layer, which rests upon the seat, ispreferably made ol2 thin sheet-lead 4, which is at once uon-corrodibleand is readily compressed onto the seat to torni a suitable packing andwatertight joint. Against the outer face ol this lead disk is placed athin aluminium cap 5, which has an inturned annular [lange inclosing themarginal edges ol the disk 4- to reinl'orce the latter and to preventits slneading or yieldingunder pressure o'll the water, both of thesedisksfl and 5 beingoi greater diameter than that of the passage 2, so aste have a broad bearing on the outer end ol the head 1,. A third disk G,oli' thin sheet-brass, is placed against the outer face of the aluminiumcap 5, and against this disk (3 is placed a Vfourth disk or thin layer7, ol cork or equivalent yielding material which is not adapted tocollect moisture. Upon the disk 7 placed an outer cap 8 olEcomparatively heavy still' brass, which has an inwardlyprojectingannular lilange 9 el? sul'licient depth to inclose the disks 8 and 7 andthe greater portion oli the disk or cap 6, this latter disk G having alateral annular llange l0, against which the flange 9 may bear.

Sp1-inging laterally from the opposite sides of the outer end oll thehead l are two arms 1l and 12, which are disposed at opposite sides ofthe stopper and converge outwardly, so as to meet some distance beyondthe stopper to a'tliord ample clearance for the movable parts and at thesame time protect said parts from injury or accidental displacement. Oneoi the arms, as 1l, is formed with a recess 13 in its inner side andnear the stopper and rc ceives one end ol" a movable lock-bar la, whichextends diametrically across and bears upon the outer face oi the cap 8and has its opposite end entering a recess 15in an upright lever 16 tohold the lock-bar in opera- IOC) tive position. rllhe main body of thebar clears the outer face of the stopper, but is formed with a centralboss or projection 17, which bears against the center of the stopper tohold' the latter in operative position, and at the same time when thefuse is melted the center bearing 17 allows the stopper to free itselffirst at the edges instead of by bodily axial movement. Anadjusting-screw 18 is tapped into the arm 11, so as to project into therecess 13 and engage the adjacent end of the lock-bar, and therebyadjust the pressure of the latter upon the stopper after the parts areassembled. The lever 16 is fulcrumed at 2O to the arm 12 at the innerside of the adjacent end of the lock-bar 14 and recess 15, but extendsoutwardly along the arm 12 to a point near the junction of the arms 11and 12, where it is clamped to the arm 12 by thin metal plates 21 and 22and a soft-solder or other fusible rivet 23. rIhe arm 12 is formed withan elongated recess 2a in its side adjacent to but at the outer side ofthe lever 16, and the plate 21 is fitted against corresponding sides ofthe arm 12 and lever and has a projecting rib 25, which enters therecess 24 to lock the plate against lateral movement for the purj poseof relieving` the strain upon the fusible detent or rivet 23. The outerside edge of this plate 21 is bent upon itself to form a groove 26, intowhich the adjacent end of the plate 22 is fitted, this latter platebeing passed around the opposite side of the arm 12, and the inner endsof both plates are formed with alined apertures, into which the fusiblerivet 23 is inserted to further lock the plates together. It now appearsthat the plates 21 and 22 are clamped together around the arm 12 andlever 16 to loch the lever from .movement, and thereby hold the lock-bar14C and stopper in operative position against waterpressure in the head1.

The outer sides of the recesses 13 and 15 and adjacent edges of thelock-bar 1st are beveled, so that when the fusible detent or rivet 23 ismelted the outward pressure of the water upon the stopper will betransmitted to the bar 1-1, and the engaging beveled faces of the bar 1aand lever 15 will operate to rock the lever outwardly7 on its pivot, andthereby draw the plates 21 and 22 apart and away from the arm 12 untilthe lever 16, bar 1-1, and stopper are liberated, as shown in Fig. 2, topermit the free discharge of the water through the head 1 to extinguishthe fire.

A rotary water-spreading wheel 30 is mounted in the junction of the arms11 and 12 and is provided with a series of blades 31, which are set atan angle to receive the impact of the escaping' water, whereby the wheelis rotated and the water is also spread or thrown in all directions overa large area.

Although I have shown the stopper and its holding parts 1-1, 16, 21, and22 as displaced to certain positions, it is evident that all of theseparts, except the lever 16, may be forced to any other position thanthat shown and that in most cases they will be entirely separated fromthe head 1 and arms 11 and 12, so as to leave a clear passage for thewater from the head1 to the rotary spreader 30.

In reassem bling the parts the stopper is first placed in position overthe outer end of the passage, and the lock-bar is then placed againstthe outer face of the stopper with one end in the recess 13, after whichthe lever 16 is rocked inwardly until the adjacent end of the bar 14enters the recess 15. The plates 21 and 22 are then interlocled andclamped upon the bar 12 and lever 16 and the soft-solder rivet 23inserted therein, and, finally, the screw is adjusted to press the bar14C firmly against the stopper to hold the latter firmly against theseat.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic sprinkler of the class described, the combinationwith a tubular head having a central water-passage and opposite armsprojecting therefrom, each of the arms havinga recess, anadjusting-screw entering one recess, a stopper for the passage, alockbar bearing on the stopper and having' one end inserted in one ofthe recesses and engaged by said screw, a lever engaging the other endof the bar, clamping-plates engaging and locking the lever to one of thearms, one of the plates entering the adjacent recess, and a fusibledetent connecting said plates.

2. An automatic fire-extinguisher of the class described comprising atubular head having a central waterpassage, opposite upwardly-projectingarms rising from the head and united at the top, a stopper for thepassage, a lever pivoted at one side of the stopper and extendingupwardly along one of the arms, an adjustable member on the other arm,and a lock-bar bearing on the stopper and having one end engaged withthe adjustable member and its other end engaged with the lever above itspivot, and means including a fusible part for locking the upper end ofthe lever to one of the arms.

3. In an automatic fire-extinguisher of the class described, incombination, a tubular head havinga water-passage, a stopper for saidpassage, opposite arms rising from the head and united at the top, arevoluble spreader at the junction of said arms, one of the arms havinga recess near its lower end, a lever pivoted at its lower end andextending upwardly along the other arm, a lock-bar bearing on thestopper and having one end entering said recess and its other endengaged with said lever, an adjusting-screw on one of the arms engagingone end of the lock-bar, and means including a fusible element forsecuring the upper end of the lever to one of the arms.

i. In an automatic fire-extinguisher of the IOO IIO

IIS

class described, in combination, a tu bnlar head having a Water-passage,a stopper for said passage, opposite arms rising from the head andunited at the top, a lever pivoted at one side of the passage andextending upwardly alongl one of the arms, a lock-bar engaging' thestopper and having' one end elflgaged with the 1evcr and its other endadjustably connected to the opposite arm, opposed clamping-platesbinding the upper end oi' the lever to the ad- 10 jacent arm, and afusible bond uniting the clamping-platesn In Witness whereof havehereunto set my hand this 7 th day o1 October, 1904.

JAMES A. CASS, JR. Wtnesses:

Taos. KELL BRADFORD, AUG. W. BaAinmD.

